The Association

Philosophy

The philosophy of Taiji Bailong Ball is based on the cultural and social values of China. It is about striving for harmony, continuously seeking to balance out things that are not in equilibrium, and staying centred – in short: the taiji principle. In the game of Taiji Bailong Ball, the ball, the racket, the human body, the player’s thoughts and the other players fuse together to form a unified whole. It is not about confrontation and coercion in the form of hitting, but rather about understanding and acting in a well considered manner in relation to that unity.

Prof. Bai Rong has defined the following four principles: Rou, Yuan, Zheng and Tui.

Rou 柔: Soft, gentle and supple. In this context it is used in the sense of elasticity. The movements of the body should be soft, supple and elastic, but at the same time dynamic and powerful. In Multiplay, the underlying mental attitude should also be one of friendliness and goodwill.

Yuan 圆: Round. The trajectories of the ball are circular and curving. In order to achieve an optimal trajectory and a harmonious sequence of movements, it is necessary to think in terms of spheres and rings linked together to form chains.

Zheng 整: Totality, wholeness. The forces that act upon the racket and the ball should, as far as possible, be generated by the whole body. Activating the legs, the hips and the lumbar region is fundamental to holistic movement. In Multiplay, receiving the ball and redirecting it takes place in a single, self-contained motion.

Tui 退: Backwards. In this context the term is understood as a step backwards or, from the psychological point of view, as an attitude of tolerance, acceptance or yielding. When the ball comes towards you, you do not hit against it, but rather you first take it in and in the same process redirect it.